1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to devices that create a barrier around the lips of the mouth. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that are capable of retaining a volume of material and retaining that material in constant contact with the lips for a prolonged period of time.
2. Prior Art Description
The lips of a person's mouth contain a particularly high density of nerve endings. This makes the lips very sensitive to the sense of touch. Furthermore, the dermis layer on the lips is thin as compared to other areas of the face. This adds to the sensitivity of the lips. It also makes the lips more prone to bleeding as compared to other areas of the face. To further complicate matters, the lips contain a high density of blood vessels. This cause the lips to bleed easily when injured. It also causes the lips to easily swell when injured. This anatomy is the underlying cause of the ease of receiving a “fat lip” even when the lips have received only a small injury.
Because the lips are highly sensitive, physicians often want to numb the lips before any medical procedure is performed on the lips. The numbing of the lips is traditionally preformed in one of two ways.
For minor procedures, topical anesthetics can be applied to the exterior of the lip. The topical anesthetic numbs the exterior of the lip. The topical anesthetic is typically applied by a physician rubbing the anesthetic onto the exterior of the lip with a swab or similar implement. As a result, only a small amount of anesthetic is applied. Therefore, the numbing effect is very localized and typically does not numb nerve endings located deep within the lip tissue or on the interior of the lip. Consequently, if the lips are to receive injections, stitches, piercings, or any other treatment that affects the deeper tissue of the lip, the patient can still experience a significant amount of discomfort.
The second method of numbing lips is to numb the lips with injections of anesthetics. This completely numbs the tissue of the lip. However, the act of injecting the anesthetic causes discomfort and injury to the lip. Furthermore, injecting the anesthetic may cause some swelling of the lips. If a physician is performing a cosmetic procedure on the lips, such as fattening the lips with collagen, any swelling can cause obvious difficulties in the procedure as the doctor attempts to balance the shape of the lips.
A need therefore exists for an improved device and method for numbing the lips that does not injure the lips or otherwise cause swelling of the lips. A need also exists for a new device and method for numbing the lips that can use topical anesthetics in amounts great enough to numb the exterior of the lip, the interior of the lip, and all the tissue there between. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.